Department for Transport

Bus Services

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer to Question 39527, (a) for what reasons and (b) what the evidential basis is for the decision that the commissioning and provision of bus services should be kept separate.

Andrew Jones: Government wants to see the bus industry thrive, and considers that commercial bus operators, working closely with local authorities using the new tools that are proposed to be provided through the Bus Services Bill, are best placed to deliver better services for passengers. Supporting evidence of direct relevance is not available given the de-regulated nature of the English bus market, and the fact that legislation does not currently provide local authorities with the range of opportunities to influence local bus service provision that the Bus Services Bill envisages.

Motor Vehicles: Hydrogen

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the relative merits of hydrogen-powered vehicles compared to electric vehicles.

Andrew Jones: Both hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs) have the potential to play a significant role in decarbonising road transport. Each technology has its strengths and weaknesses. FCEVs have range and refuelling times much closer to conventional vehicles. BEVs have higher efficiency, lower running cost and are more technologically and commercially mature. The Government has a technology neutral approach and we are supporting both FCEVs and BEVs, at their respective states of development Since 2012 We have been working with industry in the UK H2Mobility project to assess the opportunity for hydrogen for transport and to develop a strategy for the roll-out of refuelling infrastructure and FCEVs. UK H2Mobility published conclusions in 2013 analysis presented a scenario which despite significant challenges in the early years, showed that there were longer term benefits of using hydrogen for transport in terms of the environment, the economy and energy security. Since its publication UK H2Mobility has continued to keep the hydrogen for transport opportunity under review and exchange information amongst the early actors in this emerging market.

Bus Services

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2016 to Question 39847, what effect he expects the provisions of the Bus Services Bill to have on his Department's estimates of future trips by mode.

Andrew Jones: The Department has published three impact assessments relating to the provisions contained in the Bus Services Bill. Those documents include our analysis of the expected effects of the Bus Services Bill.

Cycling and Walking

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2016 to Question 39847, what assessment he has made of the effect of the cycling and walking investment strategy on his Department's estimates of future trips by mode.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy contains a target to double cycling by 2025 and an objective to increase walking activity. We are currently consulting on a programme of activity to work towards these increases.

Electric Vehicles: Finance

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations he has received on the sophistication of the plug-in grant to promote high safety rated electric and low emission vehicles.

Andrew Jones: To be eligible for the Plug-In Car and Van Grants, vehicles must meet a range of environmental, safety and performance criteria. These requirements include compliance with recognised international safety standards. Many electric vehicles tested under the Euro NCAP system have received the highest five-star safety rating.

Marine Environment Protection Committee

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, of which correspondence groups the UK is a member within the International Maritime Organisation's Marine Environmental Protection Committee process.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The International Maritime Organization’s Marine Environmental Protection Committee established four correspondence groups at its 69th session dealing with Ballast Water, Fuel Oil Quality, Energy Efficiency and a Data Collection System for Fuel Consumption. The UK is a member of all of these groups and is acting as the coordinator of the Ballast Water Group.

Large Goods Vehicle Drivers: Training

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people who drive heavy goods vehicles in city centres receive training that specifically addresses the risks of urban driving.

Andrew Jones: The importance of being aware of vulnerable road users is tested during the process of a professional driver passing their test and gaining their heavy goods vehicle driving licence. Additionally, all professional drivers of heavy goods vehicles have to complete ongoing Driver Professional Certificate training of 35 hours spread over a 5-year period. This periodic training includes a wide range of topics, including awareness of vulnerable road users in urban areas or city centres.

Govia Thameslink Railway: Rolling Stock

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy that (a) plug sockets, (b) tables and (c) WiFi equipment should be installed in all standard class Thameslink Class 700 carriages.

Claire Perry: Contract variations have been proposed by my Department to introduce seat back tables and WiFi infrastructure throughout the new Class 700 Thameslink trains and officials are negotiating the details with the other contractual parties. My officials are also exploring with Siemens, the manufacturer of the new Class 700 Thameslink trains, the scope for increasing the number of plug sockets.

Transport: Infrastructure

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential contribution of the British steel industry to future transport infrastructure projects in the UK.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Department has been working closely with BIS, Cabinet Office and industry to consider how Government can help the UK steel industry meet the challenges it has been facing. The bulk of infrastructure projects within the Department are being delivered by the Department’s Arm’s Length Bodies (ALB), in particular, Network Rail, Highways England and HS2. Cabinet Office guidance on the approach to steel procurement has been circulated to the Accounting Officers of each ALB and procurement and commercial teams within these organisations are aware of the need to: Signal the future pipeline of requirements on steel sourcing and best practice in pre-procurement market engagement; Ensure there is clear visibility of opportunities at sub-contractor level where the source of steel has not been defined by a Tier 1 contractor; Assess the health and sustainability of potential suppliers in the supply chain at selection stage, including compliance with relevant health and safety and employment legislation; Ensure that the price or cost calculations are based on an assessment of the whole-life cost and not lowest purchase price; Take account of appropriate social and environmental impacts at the award stage where they are linked to the subject of the contract. As with the rest of the materials for construction, steel is procured by the supply chain for the majority of our infrastructure projects. The Department and its ALBs are complying with the Cabinet Office guidance and ensuring that, for instance, where appropriate, assessment of social and environmental impacts are considered as part of the evaluation criteria. The Department and its ALBs also positively encourage bids from British companies and are holding discussions with UK suppliers to make sure they are in the best possible position to win contracts. Activity currently underway is as follows:Network RailNetwork Rail buys approximately 120,000 tonnes of steel for rails per annum directly from British Steel in Scunthorpe, which is around 96% of Network Rail’s total aggregated demand by value.  Highways EnglandHighways England does not procure steel materials directly, however over the last five years Highways England has used a category management framework as the main method of procuring steel gantries for the Strategic Road Network. To date circa 95% of this steel has been drawn from British Steel in the UK, which equates to approximately 11,000 tonnes of steel. The approximate framework spend is £30 million, of which about 35% will be steel procurement i.e. raw materials, and will equate to around £10.5 million. CrossrailThe 57km of steel required for the rails of Crossrail’s brand new central tunnel section is being sourced entirely from British Steel in Scunthorpe. This equates to 7,000 tonnes of steel. Crossrail Ltd does not directly procure steel as this is undertaken by their tier 1 contractors and their supply chains. However, Crossrail keeps an oversight of its critical contracts and estimates that 85% of its supply chain providing steel to the project is UK based.HS2 It is estimated that HS2 will need approximately 2 million tonnes of steel over the next 10 years. The procurement for the main civil engineering works between Euston and Birmingham is now underway with procurements for the stations and rail systems expected to commence later this year and for rolling stock in early 2017. Subject to Royal Assent, the project will start construction in 2017. As with the rest of the materials for construction, steel is procured by the supply chain. HS2 positively encourages bids from British companies and is already holding discussions with UK suppliers to make sure they are in the best possible position to complete for contracts for the steel that will be needed for track, concrete reinforcements, overhead wires and other structures.

Cycling and Walking

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2016 to Question 39847, on travel, when he plans to update the National Transport Model estimates given in that Answer to take account of the potential effects of the cycling and walking investment strategy.

Andrew Jones: We plan to update the National Transport Model with the impacts of the cycling and walking investment strategy once we have more complete information on the national impact of local cycling and walking strategies later in the year.

Road Traffic

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2016 to Question 39847, on travel, what the road traffic forecast estimates are for each of the forecast scenarios 2 to 5 for future (a) annual trips by mode per person and (b) average length of trips by mode.

Andrew Jones: The data requested and previously provided for scenario 1 in Question 39847 is not readily available for the scenarios 2 to 5, published in Road Traffic Forecasts 2015. Estimates of future trips by mode was not produced for all scenarios as the Department’s National Transport Model is primarily used to forecast road travel, and is not typically used to forecast demand for other modes.

Bus Services: Lancashire

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much his Department provided in bus subsidies to Lancashire in 2015.

Andrew Jones: Lancashire receives almost £1.9 million of the £40m of Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) my Department provides directly to English local authorities each year to help deliver bus services. This is in addition to the £6.8 million Lancashire received in 2014-15 for local bus services via the block grant from the Department for Communities and Local Government, which is provided to all local authorities in England.

A59: Ribble Valley

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many accidents there have been on the A59 road in the area of Ribble Valley in the last two years.

Andrew Jones: The table below gives the number of personal injury road accidents reported to the police that occurred on the A59 in the district of Ribble Valley.  FatalSeriousSlightTotal20140714212015231318

Department for Transport: Coventry

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 27 June 2016 to Question 40542, what estimate he has made of the number of his Department's civil servants that will be based in Coventry in each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Department for Transport currently consists of a central department and four executive agencies as follows:The Driver & Vehicle Licensing AgencyThe Driver & Vehicle Standards AgencyThe Vehicle Certification AgencyThe Maritime and Coastguard Agency The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has not made an estimate of the number of civil servants it plans to base in Coventry over the next five years. All other areas of the Department do not currently have any plans to base any staff in Coventry.

A17: East Midlands

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to dual the A17 between Newark and Sleaford.

Andrew Jones: The A17 forms part of the local road network and is the responsibility of Lincolnshire County Council and Nottinghamshire County Council. Responsibility for maintenance of the road rests with the relevant Local Highway Authority. Plans for future improvement and requests for funding are matters for the relevant Local Highway Authorities to put forward to their relevant Local Enterprise Partnerships.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Burma: Human Rights

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that the Burmese government relaunches the Prisoner of Conscience Affairs Committee or establishes a new Committee with a mandate to review the cases of people charged or deprived of their liberty for the exercise of their human rights.

Mr Hugo Swire: The release of some 200 political prisoners during its first few weeks in office is a strong demonstration of the new Burmese Government’s commitment to reforming human rights and the rule of law in Burma. However, we remain concerned that arrests, detentions and sentencing of political activists could continue while the military retains control of the Home Ministry, Police and Courts.Tackling the causes of political prisoners will require a thorough but longer-term process of legislative and judicial reform. Having an effective Political Prisoners Committee will be an important element of that process and is something we have consistently called for and will continue to do.The Government has long campaigned on the issue of political prisoners in Burma. We have maintained pressure through bilateral and international actions such as the two annual UN resolutions on Burma in which we have played an instrumental part. I raised this issue directly with the then Minister for the Presidency, U Aung Min, during my visit to Burma in July 2015. We will work with the new Government to help it continue to make progress.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Recruitment

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department plans to recruit more trade specialists as a result of the outcome of the referendum on the UK's membership of the EU.

Mr Hugo Swire: As The Prime Minister, the Rt Hon. Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), told the House on 27 June, the Cabinet has agreed the creation of a new EU Unit in Whitehall, which will bring together officials and policy expertise from across the Cabinet Office, Treasury, Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.It will report to the whole of the Cabinet on delivering the outcome of the referendum, advising on transitional issues and exploring options for our future relationship with Europe and the rest of the world from outside the EU.The Prime Minister has also said that it is important for us to secure the best and brightest from the private sector, whether they are lawyers, financial experts or trade experts.

Cabinet Office

Census

Royston Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what framework determines what will be included in the 2021 census.

Matthew Hancock: Holding answer received on 29 June 2016



The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA Letter to Member - Census 2021
(PDF Document, 66.33 KB)

Cabinet Office: Procurement

John Spellar: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will take steps to ensure that his Department's purchasing policies support British (a) industry and (b) agriculture.

Matthew Hancock: The Government is committed to doing all it can to ensure UK suppliers can compete effectively for public sector contracts in line with our current international obligations. To this end we are seeking to ensure the huge purchasing power of government supports the task of boosting growth, and enables us to actively shape the UK market for the long term.We are providing industry with visibility of up to £191bn of potential procurement opportunities across 19 sectors. In addition, we are working with businesses to identify and address any key capabilities needed to meet future demand; actively helping them to remove barriers and supporting growth through additional benefits that boost exports and drive innovation.

Electronic Government

David Mackintosh: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to ensure (a) that all Government services are available through the gov.uk website and (b) that that website remains operational at all times.

Matthew Hancock: Since its launch in October 2012, GOV.UK has handled over 2.6 billion visits. The site needs to continue operating during major events such as the annual Self Assessment peak and a national emergency. The GOV.UK website has been designed to handle issues and failures in a way which would not impact the public. We have robust incident management processes in place and regularly run disaster recovery simulations to test our response to any outages.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Civil Servants: Recruitment

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2016 to Question 39321, what progress his Department has made on plans to diversify the civil service.

Joseph Johnson: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is in line with the Civil Service Talent Action Plan, refreshed in March 2016. The Plan commits departments to actions that aim to remove barriers to success faced by underrepresented groups. The Department is committed to promoting a culture of inclusivity which celebrates, respects and encourages diversity in its workforce and recognises the benefits a diverse workforce provides and the improved business practices this can create.BIS’ commitment to building a diverse workforce is demonstrated by activities such as supporting staff on Civil Service diversity talent schemes and establishing an internal diversity mentoring programme. The Department has undertaken an extensive internal communications campaign to build awareness and promote inclusivity. The Department has appointed a Board level Diversity Champion and director-level champions. The champions are responsible for promoting diversity issues, acting as a senior role model and providing strategic support to colleagues and internal staff networks.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: EU Law

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what EU directives related to his Department's responsibilities are awaiting transposition into UK law.

Anna Soubry: The following EU Directives related to my Department’s responsibilities are awaiting transposition into UK law:Directive 2013/53/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 November 2013 on recreational craft and personal watercraft and repealing Directive 94/25/ECDirective 2013/55/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 November 2013 amending Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications and Regulation (EU) No 1024/2012 on administrative cooperation through the Internal Market Information System (‘the IMI Regulation’)Directive 2013/55/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 November 2013 amending Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications and Regulation (EU) No 1024/2012 on administrative cooperation through the Internal Market Information System (‘the IMI Regulation’)Directive 2014/33/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to lifts and safety components for liftsDirective 2014/34/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to equipment and protective systems intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres (recast)Commission Delegated Directive 2015/13 of 31 October 2014 amending Annex III toDirective 2014/32/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council, as regards the flowrate range of water meters.Directive 2014/29/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to the making available on the market of simple pressure vessels;Directive 2014/30/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to electromagnetic compatibility (recast)Directive 2014/31/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to the making available on the market of non-automatic weighing instrumentsDirective 2014/32/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to the making available on the market of measuring instruments (recast);Directive 2014/35/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to the making available on the market of electrical equipment designed for use within certain voltage limitsDirective 2014/53/EU of The European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to the making available on the market of radio equipment and repealing Directive 1999/5/ECDirective 2014/68/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 May 2014 on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to the making available on the market of pressure equipmentDirective 2014/95/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 October 2014 amending Directive 2013/34/EU as regards disclosure of non-financial and diversity information by certain large undertakings and groupsDirective 2014/104/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 November 2014 on certain rules governing actions for damages under national law for infringements of the competition law provisions of the Member States and of the European UnionCommission Directive (EU) 2015/2115 of 23 November 2015 amending, for the purpose of adopting specific limit values for chemicals used in toys, Appendix C to Annex II toDirective 2009/48/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the safety of toys, as regards formamideCommission Directive (EU) 2015/2116 of 23 November 2015 amending, for the purpose of adopting specific limit values for chemicals used in toys, Appendix C to Annex II toDirective 2009/48/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the safety of toys, as regards benzisothiazolinoneCommission Directive (EU) 2015/2117 of 23 November 2015 amending, for the purpose of adopting specific limit values for chemicals used in toys, Appendix C to Annex II to Directive 2009/48/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the safety of toys, as regards chloromethylisothiazolinone and methylisothiazolinone, both individually and in a ratio of 3:1Directive (EU) 2015/2302 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2015 on package travel and linked travel arrangements, amending Regulation (EC) No 2006/2004 and Directive 2011/83/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Council Directive 90/314/EECDirective (EU) 2015/2436 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2015 to approximate the laws of the Member States relating to trade marks

Electric Vehicles

Michelle Donelan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether he plans for the provision of charging points for electric cars at multiple locations in the UK.

Anna Soubry: Plug-in vehicles are generally charged at home and overnight, and so the Government provides grants of up to £500 for the installation of domestic chargepoints. More than 60,000 have been installed to date. The UK also has over 11,000 publicly accessible chargepoints; in streets, car parks and motorway service areas. This includes almost 900 rapid chargepoints that can charge a car in 20-30 minutes – the largest network in Europe.The Department for Transport’s Road Investment Strategy includes funding of £15m to improve the network of chargepoints on the strategic road network, and the Go Ultra Low city scheme is expected to deliver around 750 more publicly accessible chargepoints in UK towns and cities by 2020. We will announce further targeted support for plug-in vehicle chargepoints in due course.

Electric Vehicles

Michelle Donelan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to support the electric car industry.

Anna Soubry: The UK offers one of the most comprehensive packages of support for ultra low emission vehicles in the world, and has committed funding of more than £600m by 2020. This includes plug-in car and van grants, support for recharging infrastructure, a joint government-industry communications campaign, as well as substantial investment in R&D. In addition, the Government and industry are investing around £1bn over 10 years in the Advanced Propulsion Centre to develop, commercialise and enable the manufacture of advanced propulsion technologies in the UK. The UK manufacturers around one in five of the pure electric cars sold in the European Union.

Electric Vehicles

Michelle Donelan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing incentives to encourage householders to have outdoor charging points provided at their premises to encourage the uptake of electric cars.

Anna Soubry: The Government already offers grants of up to £500 towards the cost of installing a chargepoint at home, through the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme. All available evidence suggests that electric vehicle drivers prefer to charge at home and at work. Reducing the cost of homecharging removes a potential barrier to uptake and allows owners to charge conveniently and at low cost. Dedicated home chargepoints will also play an important role in the smarter, more dynamic charging and electricity grid.

Public Houses

Maria Caulfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what progress is being made on developing the Pubs Code; and when he plans that that code will be made available.

Anna Soubry: The Pubs Code etc Regulations 2016 and the Pubs Code (Fees, Costs and Financial Penalties) Regulations 2016 were laid in draft before Parliament on 13 June 2016. The Regulations are available from the legislation.gov.uk website.The Regulations are now subject to Parliamentary scrutiny before they come in effect. This scrutiny begins with consideration by the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments and the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee followed by a debate in each House.

Overseas Investment: Treaties

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effect of the Government's bilateral investment treaties on its policies on human rights, development and the environment in each of the countries with which it has signed a treaty.

Anna Soubry: The UK is signatory to over 90 bilateral investment treaties (BITs). The objective of BITs is to provide investors with fair and equitable treatment, protection against discriminatory action and a commitment not to expropriate investments without compensation. The contents of BITs do not provide specific obligations to either investors or states regarding human rights, development or the environment, however fair, non-discriminatory and proportionate action taken by a host state to protect human rights, development and the environment would not breach an investment protection. The Government is not aware of any Investor-State Dispute Settlement claims made by UK investors under existing BITs that have led directly to or contributed towards a negative impact on these areas.

Manufacturing Industries

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent representations he has received on the potential merits of establishing a materials catapult for manufacturing.

Joseph Johnson: Holding answer received on 29 June 2016



 The Department refers proposals for new Catapults to Innovate UK, who have an established process for considering the case for new Catapult Centres. This includes proposals for Materials Centres. Innovate UK currently consider the broad materials needs of the manufacturing sector are well served by existing Catapults and Research and Technology Organisations (RTOs).

Business: EU Withdrawal

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what representations he has received from businesses expressing concern at the result of the referendum on the UK's membership of the EU.

Anna Soubry: My Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills has been keeping in close contact with business since the referendum. My Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State made a series of calls on Friday immediately following the result including to the major business representative bodies. On Tuesday, 28 June 2016, my Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State held a business roundtable with the UK’s largest business organisations, and representatives from our most important industries. Further such roundtables will be held over the coming weeks.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: Recruitment

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether his Department plans to recruit more trade specialists as a result of the outcome of the referendum on the UK's membership of the EU.

Anna Soubry: As my Rt hon Friend the Prime Minister announced during his statement to the House on 27 June, the Cabinet has agreed the creation of a new EU unit in Whitehall, which will bring together officials and policy expertise from across the Cabinet Office, Treasury, Foreign Office and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. It will report to the whole of the Cabinet on delivering the outcome of the referendum, advising on transitional issues and exploring objectively options for our future relationship with Europe and the rest of the world from outside the EU. My Rt hon Friend the Prime Minister said it is also important for us to secure the best and brightest from the private sector, whether they are lawyers, financial experts or trade experts.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: Staff

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many full-time trade specialists are employed by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: There are 40 civil servants in my Department primarily working on trade policy. They are assisted by officials in other Government Departments, notably the Department for International Development and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, as well as by other officials within my Department for whom trade policy is not their primary responsibility.

Department for International Development

Burma: Overseas Aid

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support her Department is giving to Eastern Kachin and Northern Shan states in Burma.

Sir Desmond Swayne: The UK has provided over £18.1 million in essential humanitarian and health assistance in Kachin and Northern Shan states from 2012 until the end of the last financial year, and plans to spend at least a further £5 million this year. DFID is the biggest contributor to the multi donor funds working in these areas to improve food security, and to provide maternal, new-born and child health care services including immunisation, prevention of HIV among people, Malaria testing and treatment. DFID also provides significant support to education in Kachin and Northern Shan, through UNICEF and the Myanmar Education Consortium.

Developing Countries: Investment

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of bilateral investment treaties between the UK and developing countries on the ability of (a) infant industries and (b) small and medium-sized enterprises in such countries to contribute to poverty reduction.

Sir Desmond Swayne: Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) commit both Governments to provide a reciprocal standard of treatment towards each other’s investors, including: protection and security against discriminatory action, fair and equitable treatment and a commitment not to expropriate without compensation. The content of BITs do not place specific obligations on or provide support to domestic companies, including infant industries and SMEs, aimed at delivering wider policy objectives.Since 2012, through the Investment and Sustainable Development Programme, DFID has provided technical and legal assistance to 24 developing countries to develop and negotiate international investment agreements (including BITs) that best reflect their own interests.

Yemen: Military Intervention

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the effect of the de-listing of the Saudi-led coalition in the UN Secretary-General's report on Children and Armed Conflict, published in April 2016, on civilian protection and the wider humanitarian situation in Yemen.

Sir Desmond Swayne: We are aware of the UN Secretary General’s annual report on Children in Armed Conflict, which includes a section outlining the impact of the conflict in Yemen on children. It is important that all sides to the conflict conduct investigations into incidents of concern. To that end, we welcome the announcement by the UN Secretary General on 6 June that the United Nations and the Saudi-led Coalition will review jointly the cases and numbers cited in the text. In parallel, we continue to urge all parties to the conflict to take all reasonable steps to ensure civilians, particularly women and children, are protected in Yemen, and to allow and facilitate rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access.

Iraq: Internally Displaced People

Ms Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support her Department has provided for the internally-displaced people who have fled their homes in Fallujah after the Iraqi government assault on that town.

Justine Greening: Since June 2014, the UK has committed £79.5 million in humanitarian assistance to the crisis in Iraq. The UK is the largest contributor to the Iraq Humanitarian Pooled Fund, through which we are funding projects to support those leaving Fallujah.

Indonesia: Droughts

Ms Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she has taken to assist people in the Indonesian province of Province of Davao del Norte affected by the drought in that province.

Justine Greening: There is no province called Davao del Norte in Indonesia.

Department for Education

Children and Young People: Mental Illness

Judith Cummins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve the capacity of schools and colleges to support children and young persons who are experiencing mental illness.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Children and young people’s mental health is a priority for the Department. We have high aspirations for all children and young people and we want them to be able to fulfil their potential. Good mental health is core to them achieving that outcome. To help children and young people maintain good mental health and access support when they need it, we provide a range of information, tools and guidance to enable schools and colleges to provide appropriate direct support for their pupils and to work collaboratively with health services and other providers.When diagnosable mental health problems occur, schools and colleges need to be able to refer pupils to specialist support from Child and Adolescent Mental Health services (CAMHS), voluntary organisations and local GPs. To improve coordination between services the Department for Education and NHS England have run a joint £3m pilot between schools and CAMHS in 255 schools across 27 Clinical Commissioning Groups. This pilot aimed to improve knowledge and understanding of mental health issues, develop and maintain effective joint working practices and to test the concept of having a 'single point of contact' in both schools and CAMHS. The outcomes from the pilot are being independently evaluated and a full report is expected by the end of this year with early findings very positive. We are currently working on plans to both extend the reach of the pilots and scale up activity in existing areas.We have published a blueprint for school counselling services which provides schools with practical, evidence-based advice, informed by schools and by counselling experts, on how to deliver high quality school-based counselling to support those pupils with particular needs: www.gov.uk/government/publications/counselling-in-schoolsTo help teachers to identify those pupils who need help we have issued advice on behaviour and mental health[1]. In addition we funded the PSHE Association (Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education)[2] to provide mental health guidance and lesson plans which support age-appropriate teaching, dealing with emotions and helping teachers to talk to children about their anxieties and worries.Whilst not an alternative to professional interventions, peer support programmes have the potential to provide effective additional support for pupils facing anxiety issues or other concerns. We are looking at encouraging the provision of quality peer support in schools and colleges, community groups and online. We have announced £1.5m of funding for this work, and are currently reviewing the findings from a national call for evidence.[1] www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental-health-and-behaviour-in-schools--2[2] www.pshe-association.org.uk

Schools: Standards

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 15 June 2016 to Question 40258, what the minimum number of responses is for results for a school to be published on Parent View.

Nick Gibb: This is a matter for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw. I have asked him to write to you and a copy of his reply will be placed in the libraries of the House.

Teachers: Vacancies

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she made an assessment of the potential merits of providing additional funding to schools with high teacher vacancy rates for teacher salaries.

Nick Gibb: From 2017, we have committed to introduce a national funding formula so that we can allocate funding more fairly, based on the needs of schools and the characteristics of their pupils. That will mean schools are better placed to manage their budgets and make informed decisions about their spending. Our pay reforms have given schools greater flexibility to determine teachers’ pay and to decide what salary to offer to new teachers on appointment. This increased flexibility helps schools to attract and recruit the teachers they need.

Overseas Students: English Language

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much her Department spent in the last five years on the provision of English language teachers for students recently arrived in the UK with little knowledge of that language.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The department distributes school funding to local authorities through the dedicated schools grant. Each local authority then devises a formula through which it allocates funding to schools in its locality. No funding is allocated on the basis of pupils who have recently arrived from overseas, either from central government to local authorities or from local authorities to individual schools.Local authorities can include an ‘English as an additional language’ (EAL) factor in their funding formulae. EAL funding is determined on the basis of census data which records whether or not a pupil’s first language is English. Funding allocated through this factor forms part of the school’s core budget and it is for school leaders to determine how best to use their whole budget so that all pupils can reach their full potential.We will introduce a national funding formula from 2017-18 so that funding is fair and matched to need. Our first consultation proposed that the formula should include an EAL factor. We will set out the precise detail of the formula in our second consultation.

Department for Education: Coventry

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many Civil Service employees of her Department were based in Coventry in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: The numbers of employees of the Department for Education based in Coventry in each of the last five years is shown in the table below.Year20122013201420152016Number  at 31st March182411369367373Source: RM

Performing Arts: Further Education

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will take steps to increase funding of post-16 performing arts education and training.

Mr Sam Gyimah: We believe that post-16 education plays a crucial role in helping young people realise their potential. That’s why we announced as part of the Spending Review that we will protect the national base rate of £4,000 per student for the duration of the parliament. In addition vocational performing arts programmes receive a 20% uplift reflecting the extra costs of delivering these courses.The government also remains committed to supporting talented students through the Dance and Drama Awards scheme. Around 1,300 young people and adults each year receive financial help through the scheme to gain high level vocational training in dance, drama and musical theatre.In addition, the Department for Education provides means-tested support through the Music and Dance Scheme to ensure that talented children from all backgrounds are able to receive the world-class training they need to succeed in careers in music and dance.

Education Funding Agency: Property

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the value is of property not in use which was purchased by the Education Funding Agency since 2012.

Edward Timpson: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Academies: North of England

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many of the academy trusts approved to receive the Northern Fund for academy sponsors in the first competition which concluded in July 2015 operated schools which had not been inspected by Ofsted since becoming an academy.

Edward Timpson: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Academies: North of England

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many of the academy trusts approved to receive the Northern Fund for academy sponsors in the second competition which concluded in February 2016 operated schools which had not been inspected by Ofsted since becoming an academy.

Edward Timpson: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Ministry of Justice

Prostitution

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many men have been found guilty of offences under Section 53A of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 as amended by Section 14 of the Policing and Crime Act 2009 since 1 April 2010; and what sentence was imposed in each such case.

Dominic Raab: The information requested is published in the Criminal Justice System Statistics Quarterly, at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2015. The maximum penalty for the offence is a fine not exceeding £1,000.

Prisoners: Repatriation

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Oral Answer of 14 June 2016, Official Report, column 1617, on EU Prisoner Transfer Directive, to which EU member states the 102 prisoners transferred from England and Wales under the EU prisoner transfer agreement have been transferred.

Andrew Selous: The information requested is provided in the table below. MEMBER STATE TO WHICH TRANSFER HAS TAKEN PLACENUMBER OF PRISONERS TRANSFERREDBelgium7Czech Republic4Denmark1Italy3Latvia5Lithuania1Netherlands44Poland3Romania15Slovakia13Spain5Malta1

Personal Injury

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions he has had with the judiciary on the potential change in the number of litigants in person in personal injury claims as a result of the changes to personal injury law and procedures announced by the Chancellor in the Autumn Statement and Spending Review 2015; and if he will make a statement.

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has made an assessment of the potential effect on the personal injury portal of the changes to personal injury law and procedures announced by the Chancellor in the Autumn Statement and Spending Review 2015; and if he will make a statement.

Dominic Raab: Discussions related to the new reforms have been held with the judiciary and with members of Claims Portal Limited’s board. The Government will continue to work with a wide range of stakeholders, including other Government Departments, in taking the work forward and will consult on the detail in due course. The consultation will be accompanied by an impact assessment.

Employment Tribunals Service: Females

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the reasons for recent reductions in the number of cases brought by women in employment tribunals.

Mr Shailesh Vara: The review we are currently undertaking on Employment Tribunals fees is assessing the impact that the introduction of fees has had on proceedings in the Employment Tribunals, including in relation to characteristics protected under the Equality Act 2010. We expect to announce the conclusion of the review in due course.

Employment Tribunals Service: Fees and Charges

Christina Rees: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of employment tribunal fees on the gender pay gap.

Mr Shailesh Vara: The review is assessing how successful the reforms had been in meeting their original objectives including, as far as we can, the impact of fees in relation to characteristics protected under the Equality Act 2010.We are planning to announce the conclusions of the review in due course.

Employment Tribunals Service: Fees and Charges

Christina Rees: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many employment tribunal claimants withdrew their case due to the requirement to pay fees (a) since 2013, (b) between April 2014 and March 2015 and (c) between April 2015 and March 2016.

Mr Shailesh Vara: HM Courts & Tribunals Service does not record the reasons why claimants withdraw their employment tribunal case.

Administration of Justice

Christina Rees: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the findings of the Law Society's online survey of individuals' handling of legal issues in England and Wales 2015, published in May 2016.

Christina Rees: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to improve awareness of available legal advice for the general public.

Christina Rees: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to improve legal education in England and Wales.

Mr Shailesh Vara: The legal profession in England and Wales is independent from government. We want to see an innovative and competitive market that provides people with affordable legal services that they want and need, with regulation that supports the public and consumer interest. We welcome the Law Society’s survey and will take account of the findings as part of the development of legal services policy. The legal services regulators have a duty to promote the regulatory objectives set out in the Legal Services Act 2007, including improving access to justice and increasing public understanding of the citizen's legal rights and duties. The regulators have established the “Legal Choices” website, which provides people with information to help them in deciding whether and how to seek legal advice and the available services they might choose from. The Advicenow website, established by Law for Life, provides information on rights and the law.

Domestic Violence: Legal Aid Scheme

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 27 June 2016 to Question 40498, on domestic violence: legal aid scheme, which domestic violence support groups, legal representative bodies and colleagues across Government the Department is working with; and on what basis the decision was made to work with those organisations and not others.

Mr Shailesh Vara: We are working with a range of organisations, including Rights of Women, the Law Society, Resolution, and the Legal Aid Practitioners Group. With the guidance of these organisations, and through their associated networks, we have sought to target those with direct experience of how the regulations operate in practice - for victims and practitioners – as we think this is the best way to inform how those regulations may be improved. We have also begun work with the Home Office, as the lead department on domestic violence policy, to better understand the wider context of domestic violence.

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many decisions taken on claims for (a) employment and support allowance and (b) personal independence payment have been appealed in (i) Birkenhead and (ii) the UK in each of the past five years; and how many of those appeals have been successful.

Mr Shailesh Vara: HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) does not hold accurate information on the volumes of appeals received against claims for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Personal Independence Payment (PIP). The tables below provide information on the number of appeals against decisions taken on ESA and PIP claims that were found in favour of the appellant in Birkenhead and Great Britain1.ESA claims (excluding reassessment decisions) 2011-122012-132013-142014-152015-16Great Britain162,14756,04288,94624,97943,773Birkenhead306163664203277 PIP2 claims (excluding reassessment decisions) 2011-122012-132013-142014-152015-16Great Britain100213,37442,354Birkenhead00141190 1 HMCTS administer appeals received from appellants living in England, Scotland and Wales. The Appeals Service, part of the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service, administers appeals from appellants living in Northern Ireland.2 PIP started to replace Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for people aged 16 to 64 from 8 April 2013. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the data, the details are subject to inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale case management system.

Ministry of Defence

Ministry of Defence: EU Law

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what EU directives related to his Department's responsibilities are awaiting transposition into UK law.

Mr Julian Brazier: There are no EU directives related to the Ministry of Defence's responsibilities that are awaiting transposition into UK law.

Ministry of Defence: EU Action

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which EU (a) legislative and (b) other proposals his Department is leading negotiations on for the Government in the Council of the EU.

Mr Julian Brazier: There are no European Union (EU) legislative Defence proposals because Defence remains a Member State competence.The UK is engaged in important EU operations and missions including:Operation SOPHIA, which is disrupting smuggling and illegal migrant flows to Europe within the Southern Central Mediterranean;Operation ATALANTA, which is tackling Somali-based piracy and armed robbery at sea off the Horn of Africa and in the Western Indian Ocean; andEU Training Mission Mali, providing training to Malian army and security forces under the control of legitimate civilian political authorities.

Department for Work and Pensions

Work Capability Assessment: Appeals

Chris Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has issued written guidance to providers of the work capability assessment informing them not to direct customers to appeal decisions on their entitlements in any circumstances.

Justin Tomlinson: Information on appeals rights are made available to claimants on the relevant benefit helpline and online on Gov,UK where they can also begin their online application. Claimants are also made aware of their appeal rights when they receive their initial decision notice, which explains there is right of appeal after an application for Mandatory Reconsideration, and again when they receive the decision notice sent in response to their application for Mandatory Reconsideration. An online and postal option is provided to make their appeal. The guidance issued to the provider by the Department is clear in that the provider should not advise the claimant on any issue relating to their benefit entitlement including the right or appropriateness of an appeal. If the claimant were to bring this up, the advice is for the provider to signpost them to the Department.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Plastics: Recycling

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assistance the Government provides to local authorities to enable them to provide recycling facilities for all kinds of plastics.

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the level of variation in the availability of plastics recycling facilities in different local authorities in England.

Rory Stewart: The Government works with local authorities and the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) to provide advice and promote best practice on waste and recycling. The UK Recycling rate has increased from 11% at the turn of the century, to 44.9% in 2014. This progress is thanks in large part to the hard work of local authorities and householders towards recycling more. For 2015/16, local authority spend on waste services was approximately £3.5 billion, of which nearly £600 million was spent on recycling. In addition the Government, through the Waste Infrastructure Delivery Programme, has allocated some £3 billion in grant funding to a number of local authority waste infrastructure projects. This funding has helped authorities to build waste treatment infrastructure including energy from waste, mechanical biological treatment, anaerobic digestion and material recovery facilities, as well as to implement household recycling collection services and communal recycling centres for plastics and other recyclable materials. Local authorities are best placed to decide on their waste recycling services and the range of materials collected, taking into account local circumstances such as geography and population. WRAP’s best understanding of collections being operated by local authorities in England as of June 2016 shows us that 99% of English local authorities offer a collection of plastic bottles while 72% offer collection of plastic packaging, pots, tubs and trays. I have asked WRAP to work with the waste sector, to look at the benefits and opportunities there are from having more consistency in the materials collected for recycling and in collection systems. This will help local authorities to identify value for money and to help householders recycle more and put the right materials in the right bin. This not only includes opportunities for local authorities, but also what others can do to support greater consistency and increased recycling. I am expecting WRAP to publish a framework for greater consistency in the summer.

UN Convention on Biological Diversity

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what preparations she has made for the Convention on Biological Diversity COP-13 conference to be held in Cancun in December 2016.

Rory Stewart: The UK was an active participant at the preparatory meetings for the Convention on Biological Diversity COP-13 Conference, which took place in Montreal from 2-6 October 2015 and from 25 April – 6 May, as well as at the EU-level preparatory meetings. Further preparations will take place in the autumn once the schedule and documents for COP-13 are available.

Sustainable Development

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that the sustainable development goals that have 2020 deadlines will be met.

Rory Stewart: Of the 21 targets under the Global Goals for Sustainable Development that have a 2020 deadline, 11 of these fall within policy areas for which Defra is responsible. These goals and associated targets largely mirror the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and will be implemented through activities that are already in place in respect of the Aichi Targets.

Biodiversity

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Convention on Biological Diversity Strategic Plan, what discussions she has had with stakeholders on the integration of her Department's agricultural objectives with its biodiversity objectives.

Rory Stewart: Defra has regular discussions with a wide range of stakeholders, including the agricultural industry and environmental organisations. These discussions have included developing our agri-environment schemes, particularly the new Countryside Stewardship scheme, which are designed to deliver biodiversity objectives along with other environmental benefits.

Home Office

Immigrants: Detainees

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people from (a) Burma, (b) Afghanistan and (c) Syria are held in immigration removal centres in England.

James Brokenshire: As at 31 March 2016, the latest published statistics, there were 66 Afghan and 19 Syrian nationals in detention in the UK. There were no Burmese nationals held in detention on the 31 March 2016.The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual statistics on the number of persons removed or departed voluntarily from the UK within Immigration Statistics. Information on those in detention by nationality is available in the latest release, Immigration Statistics: January to March 2016, table dt_13_q from GOV.UK on the statistics web pages at: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-office/series/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release.We are currently not enforcing returns to Syria, although Syrians may be removed to safe third countries, for example where they have been identified as the responsibility of an EU Member State.

Free Movement of People

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that non-EEA family members of UK citizens have equal rights of travel within the EU when travelling with their UK citizen family member who has not exercised his or her rights under the Free Movement Directive, 2004/38/EC as do those who have exercised such rights.

James Brokenshire: British citizens can enter any European Union (EU) Member State on production of a valid UK passport. Family members who accompany or join their British citizen relatives can also be admitted to any EU Member State on production of a passport and, where required by the national law of that state, an entry visa or the appropriate residence card.Where admission is permitted, an EU citizen may remain in another EU state with their family members for up to three months from the date of entry, provided they do not become a burden on the social assistance system of the UK. Those EU nationals wishing to stay beyond three months can only do so where they are exercising a Treaty right.

Visas: Mohammed Amir

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons Mohammed Amir has been granted a visa to travel to the UK for the Test series between England and Pakistan.

James Brokenshire: In order to safeguard an individual's personal information and comply with the Data Protection Act 1998 the Home Office is limited in what information it can provide when the request is made by someone who is not the applicant. The Home Office is therefore unable to provide the information requested.

Visas: Sub-Saharan Africa

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of people granted visitor visas from countries in sub-Saharan Africa did not return to their country of origin following the expiry of their visa in each year since 2010.

James Brokenshire: The data requested is not currently available.

Home Office: Training

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to ensure that staff in her Department receive religious literacy training.

James Brokenshire: Holding answer received on 29 June 2016



Civil Service Learning, the main training provider for the Home Office, has a broad range of diversity and inclusion learning opportunities which are available to all staff.Horizon (the Home Office intranet) hosts an information portal with resources to develop staff’s religious literacy.

Deportation

Chris Law: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether security staff working on mass deportation flights have accredited training in the use of force in the confined space of an aircraft.

James Brokenshire: Yes. All escorting staff employed on charter flights are required to undertake and pass training in the Home Office Manual for Escorting Safely (HOMES). This is an accredited training package which is provided by the National Offender Management Service for use in confined spaces, including aircraft. Escorting staff are required to undertake refresher training on a regular basis.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans her Department has to allow EU citizens resident in the UK to be able to continue to live in the UK.

James Brokenshire: As the Prime Minister has said, there will be no immediate changes in the circumstances of European nationals currently residing in the UK.Under current arrangements EU nationals do not need to apply for a residence card or a permanent residence card in order to establish their free movement rights and responsibilities.

Slavery

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases of slavery have been reported in each of the last five years.

James Brokenshire: The table below shows the number of potential victims of human trafficking or modern slavery who were referred to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) in the UK between 2011 and 2015.The NRM is the UK’s identification and support mechanism for potential victims of modern slavery.YearNumber of potential victims201194620121,18620131,74620142,34020153,266A breakdown of referrals is available from published NRM statistics on the National Crime Agency website and can be found here: www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/publications/national-referral-mechanism-statistics

Wales Office

Wales Office: EU Law

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what EU directives related to his Department's responsibilities are awaiting transposition into UK law.

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, which EU (a) legislative and (b) other proposals his Department is leading negotiations on for the Government in the Council of the EU.

Alun Cairns: None.

Scotland Office

Scotland Office: EU Law

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what EU directives related to his Department's responsibilities are awaiting transposition into UK law.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office has no EU Directives awaiting transposition into UK law.

Scotland Office: EU Action

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, which EU (a) legislative and (b) other proposals his Department is leading negotiations on for the Government in the Council of the EU.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office is not leading negotiations on any EU legislation or any other proposals for the UK Government in the Council of the European Union.

Devolution: Scotland

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much his Department spent on (a) online advertising and promotion, (b) animation, (c) design and (d) in total on its recent #GetInOntheAct campaign.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office spend on (a) online advertising and promotion, (b) animation, (c) design and (d) in total on its recent #GetInOntheAct campaign is shown below.online advertising and promotionanimationdesign‘GetInOntheAct’ campaign£757£2,500£0£0

Scotland Office: Pay

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many instant rewards of what value were given to officials of his Department in 2015-16.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office paid no instant rewards to officials in 2015-16.

Scotland Office: Publicity

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much his Department spent on advertising, marketing and external communications in 2015-16.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office spend on advertising, marketing and external communications in the financial year 2015-16 was £757.

Dover House: Repairs and Maintenance

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much his Department spent on renovations and repairs to Dover House in 2015-16.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office spend on renovations, repairs and maintenance to Dover House in 2015-16 was £660,715.

Scotland Office: Travel

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much his Department spent on air, rail and taxi travel in 2015-16.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office spend on air, rail and taxi travel in 2015-16 is shown below.AirRailTaxi£209,037.45£63,698.82£23,244.64

Food Banks: Scotland

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether he has visited a food bank in Scotland since February 2016.

David Mundell: I have not visited a food bank in my capacity as Secretary of State for Scotland.

Northern Ireland Office

Bill of Rights: Northern Ireland

Mr Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions she has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the proposed British Bill of Rights.

Mrs Theresa Villiers: The Government has held discussions on the proposed Bill of Rights with all of the devolved administrations, including the Northern Ireland Executive, and will continue to do so.

Department of Health

Breast Cancer: Nurses

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients with a diagnosis of secondary breast cancer have a named clinical nurse specialist as part of their care in (a) England and (b) Ellesmere Port and Neston constituency.

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans the Government has to ensure that people diagnosed with secondary breast cancer have access to a clinical nurse specialist as part of their care.

Jane Ellison: The number of patients with a diagnosis of secondary breast cancer who have a named clinical nurse specialist as part of their care, is not collected. The independent Cancer Taskforce’s report, Achieving World-Class Cancer Outcomes: A strategy for England 2015-2020, published in July 2015, called for every person with cancer to have access to a clinical nurse specialist or other key worker from diagnosis onwards. In May 2016, the National Cancer Transformation Programme published an implementation plan, Achieving World-Class Cancer Outcomes: Taking the strategy forward, which says that over the next year, NHS England will work with partners across the health system to agree the best way to deliver this.

Cancer: Medical Treatments

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with appropriate clinical bodies on the potential use of oxygen bubbles and nutrients as part of treatment for cancer.

Jane Ellison: We are not aware of any discussions with clinical bodies on this matter.

Diabetes: Medical Treatments

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects the balloon device to be available through the NHS for people with diabetes.

Jane Ellison: It is for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to provide national clinical guidance and advice to improve health and social care based on the latest research and evidence base for use of technology and devices such as gastric balloons. NICE has not issued any guidance on the use of gastric balloons for people with diabetes. However it has published a clinical guideline on the identification, assessment and management of obesity that contains recommendations for assessment for bariatric surgery to be considered for people with recent-onset type 2 diabetes within specified criteria.

MRKH Syndrome: Diagnosis

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many women have been diagnosed with MRKH syndrome in the last 12 months.

Jane Ellison: Information on the number of women who have been diagnosed with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome in the last 12 months is not collected centrally. However, MRKH syndrome is estimated to affect around one in every 4,000 to 5,000 females.

Drugs: Prices

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what measures are in place to regulate the prices of everyday drugs sold to the NHS by pharmaceutical companies.

George Freeman: There are arrangements in place to ensure that the prices paid by the National Health Service for medicines provide value for money for the NHS. The prices and the profits made on the sales of branded medicines to the NHS are controlled by the voluntary Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme. If a company chooses not to join the voluntary scheme, it falls under a statutory scheme which controls the prices of branded medicines. The Department does not control the price of generic medicines; instead it relies on competition to drive down prices. A report in 2010 by the National Audit Office showed that the reimbursement arrangements had delivered savings for the NHS of £1.8 billion between 2005/6 and 2008/09. Concerns about possible anti-competitive behaviour by pharmaceutical companies are investigated by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The Department and the CMA work closely together on such matters. The CMA is committed to investigating suspected infringements of competition law, including suspected excessive pricing in the pharmaceutical sector. The CMA has strong powers of investigation and, where it finds that a firm has breached competition law, it may impose penalties of up to 10% of a company’s worldwide turnover. The CMA has been asked by the Secretary of State to undertake further work to look into specific instances of excessive pricing.

Health Services

Margaret Hodge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to nationally commission (a) minor ailments services and (b) minor eye conditions services.

George Freeman: There are no plans to commission either service at a national level. Those with a minor ailment may visit a pharmacy, walk in centre or practice nurse for treatment and those concerned they may have a minor eye condition can visit their general practitioner, optical practice or pharmacy. Services for minor ailments are commissioned by clinical commissioning groups who are also able to commission services from local optometrists to provide treatment for minor eye conditions. This ensures that services are commissioned to reflect local need.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people (a) in general and (b) who have long-term health conditions are liable for prescription charges.

Alistair Burt: The information requested is not collected centrally. We estimate that 60% of people in England are not required to pay for their prescriptions, though it is not possible to indicate how many people on either side may have a long-term health condition. The prescription charge exemptions include exemption for those on low income, which is based on receipt of certain benefits or through the NHS Low Income Scheme. Where someone does not qualify for exemption from prescription charges, Prescription Prepayment Certificates are available. The three-month and 12-month certificates allow someone to claim as many prescriptions as they need for £29.10 and £104, respectively.

Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has for the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency to contribute to the Government's aim of reducing the regulatory burden on business by £10 billion in 2016-17; and if he will make a statement.

George Freeman: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), with the Department’s other arm’s length bodies, is expected to contribute to the Department’s contribution to the Business Impact Target and the continued drive to reduce the burden of regulations. The MHRA has developed, in partnership with industry, a burden reduction plan to deliver proportionate regulation and minimise the regulatory burden on industry, while safeguarding public health. Industry partners have been asked to identify potential monetary savings from these actions. The Department will hold the MHRA to account for delivery against this plan.

Ophthalmology

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to introduce mandatory data collection on hospital-initiated postponement or cancellation of ophthalmology follow-up appointments.

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many follow-up appointments for patients with a primary diagnosis of (a) age-related macular degeneration, (b) central retinal vein occlusion and (c) diabetic macular oedema were cancelled or postponed by the NHS in each of the last three years.

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many incidences of loss or deterioration of vision as a result of postponed ophthalmology appointments his Department has recorded in each of the last three years.

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of hospital-initiated postponement or cancellation of ophthalmology follow-up appointments on patients' sight.

Alistair Burt: All follow-up appointments should take place when clinically appropriate. It is for clinicians to make decisions on when they see patients, in line with their clinical priority, and patients should not experience undue delay at any stage of their referral, diagnosis or treatment. The appropriate interval for follow up appointments will vary between different services or specialties, and between individual patients, depending on the severity of their condition. To ensure that patients are seen at the appropriate time, NHS England’s guidance, “Recording and reporting referral to treatment waiting times for consultant-led elective care” is clear that when patients on planned lists are clinically ready for their care to commence and reach the date for their planned appointment, they should either receive that appointment or be transferred to an active waiting list. At that point, a waiting time clock will be started and their wait reported in the relevant statistical return. Hospital episode statistics contain details of all outpatient appointments at National Health Service hospitals in England and commissioned by the NHS from independent sector organisations in England. The recording of a primary diagnosis and postponed or cancelled appointments is not mandatory within the outpatient commissioning data set and there are no plans to make it so. Data is not, therefore, available on the number of cancelled or postponed follow up appointments for patients with age-related macular degeneration, central retinal vein occlusion and diabetic macular oedema. No assessment has been made of the effect of hospital-initiated postponement or cancellation of ophthalmology follow-up appointments on patients' sight. However, officials have met with the Clinical Council for Eye Health Commissioning and are considering their concerns.

Ophthalmology

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to increase capacity for (a) new and (b) follow-up appointments in ophthalmology clinics.

Alistair Burt: The need for ophthalmology outpatient clinics will be determined locally by clinical commissioning groups who will then commission the care, normally from National Health Service trusts. The most recent NHS workforce statistics for trusts and clinical commissioning groups, published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre on 22 June 2016, shows that since May 2010, there are now 264 more doctors with a specialty of ophthalmology; this includes a 27% increase in the number of consultants.

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much his Department has spent on funding research into improving the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

George Freeman: The information requested is not available. The Department’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) spent £25.5 million on respiratory disease research in 2014/15 (the latest available figure). Most of this investment (£16.6 million in 2014/15) is in infrastructure for respiratory research where spend on specific topics such as the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis cannot be separated from total infrastructure expenditure. This infrastructure includes NIHR biomedical research centres and the NIHR Clinical Research Network. The NIHR manages the Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation programme, which is funded by the Medical Research Council and NIHR. The programme is currently funding a £1.4 million efficacy and mechanism evaluation of treating idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis with the addition of co-trimoxazole.

Kidney Cancer: Drugs

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he plans to make a decision on the drug Nivolumab becoming available under the Early Access to Medicines Scheme to treat patients with renal cell carcinoma.

George Freeman: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) issued a positive scientific opinion concerning the use of nivolumab for renal cell carcinoma under the Early Access to Medicines Scheme on 11 February 2016. This scientific opinion has now lapsed as nivolumab has received its marketing authorisation for use in for renal cell carcinoma from the European Commission.

Social Services: Living Wage

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he plans to take steps to ensure that the costs of social care do not rise as a result of the introduction of the national living wage.

Alistair Burt: The introduction of the National Living Wage is part of Government’s wider approach to move from a low wage, high tax, high welfare society to a higher wage, lower tax, lower welfare society. The national living wage is an important step in rewarding the valuable contribution made by care workers, who often fall into the lowest earning occupations. It is expected that any increase in costs in the care sector associated with the National Living Wage will be partly met by higher productivity, efficiencies and will also help deliver better-quality care through improvements in staff retention and commitment.Local authorities are responsible for ensuring the availability of high quality social care in their areas and the commissioning of local services for those people who are entitled to public funding. They are locally accountable for how their budgets are allocated and spent. The terms and conditions of contracts negotiated between local authorities acting as commissioners of services and providers on an open market are a local matter that should reflect local conditions.However, under the Care Act, local authorities must have regard to fostering an effective workforce with the appropriate capabilities when shaping their local markets. The Act and its statutory guidance are absolutely clear that prices and fee rates agreed with providers must reflect these new duties, including the National Living Wage. The Department has also worked with the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, the Local Government Association and care providers to co-produce a set of commissioning standards to support local authorities to assess and improve their commissioning practices. These standards are based on best practice and amplify the requirements set out in statutory guidance.As part of the Autumn Spending Review the Government is giving local authorities access to £3.5 billion of new support for social care by 2019/20. Councils will be able to introduce a new Social Care Precept, allowing them to increase council tax by 2% above the existing threshold. This could raise up to £2 billion a year for social care by 2019/20. From April 2017, the Spending Review makes available social care funds for local government, rising to £1.5 billion by 2019/20, to be included in the Better Care Fund. Taken together, the new precept and additional Better Care Fund contribution mean local government has access to the funding it needs to increase social care spending in real terms by the end of the Parliament and meet costs from the introduction of the National Living Wage.

Health: Equality

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to reduce health inequalities.

Jane Ellison: Reducing health inequalities is a priority for this Government. We are acting to reduce health inequalities by addressing the social causes of ill health, promoting healthier lifestyles for all and tackling differences in outcomes of NHS services, all underpinned by legal duties. We have taken an evidence-based, strategic approach to reducing health inequalities, based on sound governance, accountability and good partnership working and are moving towards greater use of metrics and measurement taking more account of the action taken to respond to the latest evidence, data and trends. This approach is reflected across the health system and beyond with NHS England and Public Health England (PHE) playing their part. Achieving measureable and sustained reductions in health inequalities is integral to the Department’s Shared Delivery Plan 2015-20, and reflected in the Government’s mandate to NHS England, the NHS Constitution, NHS England’s Five Year Forward View, PHE’s Evidence into Action and supporting strategic and business plans at national and local level. NHS England’s Business Plan for 2016/17 prioritises closing the gap for groups experiencing poorer health outcomes, a poorer experience of, and access to, healthcare. PHE is supporting local and national efforts to address health inequalities by providing knowledge and intelligence, and evidence-informed tools and advice. The 2012 Health and Social Care Act introduced new duties on the Secretary of State, NHS England, clinical commissioning groups and Monitor to have regard to the need to reduce health inequalities in decision-making and carrying out functions. We have also made having regard to the need to reduce health inequalities a condition of the public health grant to local authorities.

Health: North East

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to improve health outcomes in the North East.

Jane Ellison: Under the Health and Social Care Act 2012 statutory duties, Public Health England (PHE) works with local authorities to improve the health of local populations and provide services including drug and alcohol misuse as well as sexual health services. PHE works very closely with local authorities, and are undertaking a number of projects in the North East to improve health and address health inequalities.

Social Services: Cross Border Cooperation

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to paragraph 2.1(5) of the Principles for maintaining continuity of care when moving across borders within the United Kingdom, published in March 2015, what mechanism would be used to resolve or arbitrate on a disagreement between local authorities relating to the moving of an adult's care package from one UK country to another.

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Principles for maintaining continuity of care when moving across borders within the United Kingdom, published in March 2015, whether an adult with a care package who needs to raise a cross-border moving issue should raise that issue with the local authority they are leaving or the one they are moving to.

Alistair Burt: The “Principles for maintaining continuity of care when moving across borders within the United Kingdom” provide a framework for local authorities to support adults with care and support who move between countries in the United Kingdom without having their care interrupted. Adhering to the principles should reduce the potential for disagreement, however, where disagreements do arise, the Department and the Devolved Administrations would expect the parties to act reasonably and to make full efforts to resolve the dispute between themselves through constructive dialogue, cooperation and communication, including the timely sharing of information, and focussing on the well-being of the adult. The timely and effective resolution of disputes is in the interest of all parties, not least, the adult in question. It is not possible to be definitive about which authority a cross-border continuity of care matter should be pursued with because it will depend on the facts and the nature of the issue. The adult may wish to approach their own local authority in the first instance. However where an issue raised with an authority falls within the remit of the other, the principle that the authorities should work together and share information should apply.

Health Services: West Sussex

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the local management structure is of the NHS in West Sussex.

Jane Ellison: NHS Improvement advises that the following National Health Service organisations operate in West Sussex and each has its own management structure: ― Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust: https://www.bsuh.nhs.uk/about-us/ ― Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation: http://www.westernsussexhospitals.nhs.uk/your-trust/about/plans-strategies/ ― Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust: http://www.qvh.nhs.uk/about-us/ ― Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust: http://www.sussexcommunity.nhs.uk/downloads/services/about-us.pdf ― Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust: http://www.sussexpartnership.nhs.uk/about-us ― South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust: http://www.secamb.nhs.uk/about_us.aspx ― Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust: http://www.surreyandsussex.nhs.uk/about-us/about-the-trust/ ― Coastal West Sussex Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG): http://www.coastalwestsussexccg.nhs.uk/about-cwsccg ― Crawley CCG: http://www.crawleyccg.nhs.uk/about-us/ ― Horsham and Mid Sussex CCG: http://www.horshamandmidsussexccg.nhs.uk/about-us/

Health Services: Sussex

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what local organisation is accountable for the operation of the NHS in (a) Mid Sussex, (b) West Sussex and (c) Brighton.

Jane Ellison: NHS England advises that there is not one single organisation accountable for the operation of the National Health Service in Mid Sussex, West Sussex or Brighton. Instead, each of the NHS organisations in these areas is accountable for the different operational aspects of the provision of NHS services. NHS England further advises that it commissions a comprehensive health service for patients in this area along with the Coastal West Sussex Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG); Crawley CCG; Horsham and Mid Sussex CCG; and Brighton and Hove CCG.

NHS Trusts: West Sussex

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which NHS trusts operate in West Sussex; and what the responsibilities are of each such trust.

Jane Ellison: NHS England and the three local clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in Mid and West Sussex (Coastal West Sussex CCG; Crawley CCG; and Horsham and Mid Sussex CCG) are responsible for commissioning a comprehensive health service for patients in this area. The CCGs in this area are able to commission services from a range of providers, depending on the services they require. The following Trusts operate in West Sussex, and the websites describe the specific services they provide: - Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust: https://www.bsuh.nhs.uk/departments/ - Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation: http://www.westernsussexhospitals.nhs.uk/services/ - Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust: http://www.qvh.nhs.uk/our-services/ - Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust: http://www.sussexcommunity.nhs.uk/services/all-services.htm - Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust: http://www.sussexpartnership.nhs.uk/find-service - South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust: http://www.secamb.nhs.uk/our_services.aspx - Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust: http://www.surreyandsussex.nhs.uk/our-services/a-z-of-services/